Conspiracies and Culminations
by Amon2
Summary: Shin-Ra no longer trusts its three generals, so it decides to keep tabs on them. Unfortunately, the only TURK skilled enough to follow them undetected has been dead for two-and-a-half decades. Or is he? Vincent/Sephiroth Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

Summary: Shin-Ra no longer trusts its three generals, so it decides to keep tabs on them. Unfortunately, the only TURK skilled enough to follow them undetected has been dead for two-and-a-half decades. Or is he?

Warnings: Yaoi and other things to come.

Sephiroth/Vincent

Other pairings might appear as the story progresses.

I want to thank TokioKoos for editing.

Please remember to Read and Review.

Conspiracies and Culminations

Chapter 1

At the topmost floor of the Shin-Ra building was a conference hall. The room was spacious, with high ceilings, ceiling-to-floor windows and expensive furnishings. A long conference table, capable of seating up to 30 individuals with room to spare, took up the middle of the room.

Today, it only seated five people. The president of the large conglomerate known as The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company sat at the head of the table. To his left sat the head of the Science department, professor Hojo; a cruel doctor known for his brilliance and sadism. Next to the 'good' doctor sat the head of the Shin-Ra weapons division: Scarlett, a cold woman with an affinity for dressing up in red racy dresses.

Seated on the president's other side was his right-hand man and head of the TURK division, Tseng; a man of Wutian origin and highly skilled in the field of espionage. And next to him sat the head of the Public Maintenance and Order Division, Heidegger; a fat man with a large black beard and a short fuse.

These five individuals sat huddled together in the large deserted room, discussing a subject of utmost sensitivity: the three prestigious generals that led the Shin-Ra SOLDIER division.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the president began, irritation lacing his voice. "We have reached a critical point. The trinity, our finest three, have become far too powerful and close-knit for my liking. I am not pleased by this. If things proceed as they are, how soon will it be before the Great Sephiroth breaks away from our control? Do you realize the implications? The man could see through our lies and methods and stage a coup. The army and SOLDIER division would follow his word without hesitation."

The entire board nodded in agreement.

"Things were so much easier before," Scarlett began. "Back then we had that man in the palms of our hands. We would give the orders and he would follow them blindly and without question. But now…" Scarlett could not continue.

Heidegger picked up where the blonde had left off. "Now we can barely direct an order without the general deviating off course," the fat man grumbled. "Yesterday I gave an order to a unit to seize a village in the south and to get rid of all its inhabitants. Do you know what he did?" Heidegger questioned. "He actually had the audacity to question me."

The room echoed with the sound of indignant murmurs.

"Not only that," the head of Public Maintenance and Order division continued. "But he actually disregarded those orders and allowed the inhabitants to go free." The man's voice was now raised. "Do you have any idea what that would do to us in PR if the public got a whiff of this?"

Everyone now was grumbling in concern.

The president raised his hand demanding silence. "Obviously the situation is on a downhill slope decline," the president said. "If the general turns rogue on us, there's no physical means of stopping him. We've all seen what he's capable of."

The occupants of the room winced as they recalled the silver-haired angel's power on the battle field. No, there was no plausible way of slowing him, let alone stopping him.

"And just forget about the army for a moment. Can you imagine how much worse the situation could get if Sephiroth managed to rope Rhapsodos and Hewley along with him?"

The room was once again filled with the groans of the board members.

"We have to act, _fast_," Scarlett exclaimed. "Before the situation really gets out of hand."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The president turned towards professor Hojo, who had been fairly quiet till now. "Professor," the president said. "You were the one who created Sephiroth. Is there no means of destroying him if he should come to destroy us?"

The professor sat quietly pondering, all eyes were on him. Finally, after a few moments, the professor lifted his head to address the others. "No, there is absolutely no way of destroying him." But as everyone's faces dropped, despondent, he suddenly spoke again. "But…there just might be a way of controlling him."

This grabbed everyone's attention.

"_Well?!_" Heidegger demanded. "Come out with it, man, tell us how."

But Hojo merely shook his head. "I'm not at liberty to tell you." Hojo didn't miss the hateful looks everyone beside the president shot at him. He and the president alone knew what Hojo was talking about, but he decided to go ahead and placate those bruised egos. "I am also uncertain whether it would work or not," the professor continued. "But, with the president's consent, I am willing to give it a shot."

The president instantly nodded. "You may go ahead and proceed, Hojo," the president confirmed. "How much time might it require?"

Once again Hojo sat back to think. "8 months," the spectacled man said. "Give or take a couple of months."

"8 MONTHS?!" Scarlett yelled. "It might be too late by then."

"I care to disagree, Miss Scarlett," Tseng interrupted the blonde.

The woman turned to shoot the Wutian a sharp look, but the man's face was calm, betraying nothing. "We shall keep a close surveillance on the general, as well as his companions."

"And how will this help?" Heidegger demanded.

Tseng turned to the obese man with a stony face. "We shall observe the three and keep them under close scrutiny," Tseng said. "They may not have physical weaknesses, but that doesn't mean that they might not have important things or individuals that could prove to be great compromise to them."

Heidegger's eyebrows rose in understanding. "AH! You mean blackmail, kidnapping, extortion…"

Tseng then did a most uncharacteristic thing: he smiled. "It's what the TURKS do best, Mister Heidegger."

Heidegger studied Tseng closely, before suddenly throwing his head back to release a most unpleasant laugh. "Excellent, excellent," he said.

"You plan on putting a couple of your TURKS on the generals' tails?" Scarlett asked.

"I plan on deploying my best men to look into this," Tseng said. "I'm sure that Reno and Rude could…"

"No they can't," Hojo suddenly interrupted.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Hojo questioningly.

"No one is capable of tailing those three without being detected," Hojo explained. "Those men are the head of their special army divisions for a reason. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Tseng might be a bit too optimistic about the abilities of the men and women under his command. Sure, the TURKS are highly skilled spies and are capable of tracking any member of SOLDIER without detection, but not when it comes to these particular three."

Tseng, although miffed, did not show his irritation or offense. "Then who would _you_ consider to be worthy enough for the assignment, professor?" Tseng asked monotonously.

Hojo snorted. He was just about to reply that no one living was even marginally competent for the job, when he was suddenly struck by an epiphany: no one _alive_ was skilled enough for the job. But there was one man that might be.

"I offer my sincerest apologies, Tseng," Hojo said.

Everyone, including Tseng, was taken aback. Hojo never apologized for his behavior. What was the man up to?

"I may have been mistaken when I said that no TURK was up to the job," Hojo said gleefully. "But there is in fact one man who would be perfect for this mission."

Tseng was quiet. All eyes were on both men.

"And who might that be, Professor?" Tseng inquired.

"Vincent Valentine."

The room fell into a deafening silence.

"Ah, Hojo…" Scarlett finally broke the quiet. "You do realize that Valentine has been dead for a little over two-and-a-half decades, right?"

Hojo released a dark chuckle. "Oh no, my dear," Hojo said bemused. "Valentine is still very much alive and breathing, much to his disappointment."

The room once again fell into a long deathly silence.

"H-He's alive…?" Tseng asked, his face pale as a ghost.

Valentine was a legend among the TURKS. Known for his speed, skill and intellect, the man had been a pride to the TURKS and remained so to that day un-bested in all areas. Tseng couldn't recount the number of times his predecessor, Veld, had spoken about the man. And all times, he had been held with highest regard and respect.

"Who do you think is responsible for the success of the SOLDIER program in the first place?" Hojo asked. "Why, if it wasn't for Valentine's '_cooperation_'…" here Hojo trailed off a bit, laughing, "… the SOLDIER program would have never gotten off the ground."

Heidegger blinked in confusion. "I thought Sephiroth was responsible for that."

It was the president who answered, having been aware of everything that had taken place long ago. "Yes, Sephiroth was a vital part of the equation," the fat blonde said. "But he was merely a catalyst. Valentine was the true seed that allowed the professor to reap the rewards."

"Yeah, but it has been like…what? 25 years?" Scarlett asked, still doubtful. "Won't he be an old man now?"

"Not at all," Hojo said. "I've made some…let's just say, _modifications_." Hojo grinned maliciously. "No need to worry about our TURK, Miss Scarlett. He's more than apt for the job. He should be prim and ready in a matter of 24 hours. All I have to do is to go and fetch him."

The president nodded. Knowing that was the end of that and that the professor would need to make preparations to leave for Nibelheim, the president decided to end the secret meeting.

"You do that Hojo," the president rose from his seat. "For now, this meeting is adjourned."

Everyone began to rise and make their way towards the secret exit located in the back of the room. It would not do well for them to leave together and incite suspicion.

The president didn't follow. He would wait for the others to leave first, then exit through the front door. This was his company, after all. He didn't need to skulk around in the shadows like a thief.

Just as the others were about to disappear behind the false bookcase that hid the entrance, the president spoke up.

"Remember, gentlemen," he said. "Not a word of this to anyone."

The others nodded complacently.

Hojo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the obvious and just left. He had a lot to prepare for.

As Hojo made his way towards his labs, he grinned as he started to muse on Valentine's reaction towards his assignment.

No matter what the gunman said or did, he would be forced to accept it.

And Hojo knew just how to make him comply.

TBC

Please Read and Review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

Thanks to TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 2

Hojo released a sigh of relief the moment his feet touched the dirt floor. He looked back up to glare at the creaky, rotten steps that led from the secret entrance on the second story of the old Shin-Ra Mansion to the secret underground lab located beneath it.

The facility was actually one of Hojo's favorites. It was fully equipped and well-secluded from any unnecessary distractions. It was just the damned way Hojo had to risk his neck every time he used those old stairs to get to it.

Had Hojo frequented this place more often he would have had a mind to demand from that fat tub of lard they called the president to do something about it, but since he rarely ever came here any more, what with spending most of his time observing and studying Sephiroth, he had just given up on the idea and let it go. But now he was seriously thinking on having an elevator installed.

Hojo left the entrance and proceeded through the tunnel leading to the lab. Valentine wasn't in the lab, though. Hojo remembered leaving the TURK in the old chamber that had been converted into a crypt.

Once he reached the double doors of the room he pulled out his key and unlocked the padlock placed outside. The coffin was still right where he had left it 20 years ago, plus an inordinate amount of dust.

The coffin in truth wasn't really a coffin. It was a hibernation chamber designed to put its occupants into a deep coma-like sleep. It was where Hojo had shoved Valentine after he was done having fun with him.

The professor approached the coffin and pulled out another key for the lock on the lid. The lock really hadn't been necessary. Once the pod was activated, the person inside wouldn't be able to wake up on his own.

But Hojo had taken the precaution as he wasn't truly sure what Valentine was capable of, after all the modifications that had been done to him. But judging from the amount of dust all around, it looked that that hadn't really been necessary. Hojo turned the key and opened the lid.

Vincent Valentine looked the same way he did twenty years ago, before Hojo had tossed him in. Black raven hair, pale skin, slender figure, he still looked like the young man he had been before having the audacity to try and stop him.

Only now, instead of the TURK suit, he was clad in formfitting black leather, crimson mantle, heavy boots and a golden gauntlet on his left arm. His skin was also paler and his hair longer, reaching his waist. He was exactly as Hojo remembered him.

The TURK's reaction was also as fast as Hojo remembered.

The sharp talons of the golden gauntlet darted out at lightning speed, only to freeze an inch away from Hojo's neck.

"Nice to see that you're as spirited as ever, Valentine," Hojo taunted with a malignant smile.

"HOJO!" the man's deep voice growled, his crimson eyes ablaze with two-and-a-half years' worth of fury and rage.

Hojo snorted and pushed away the frozen limb.

"I see that that inhibition chip is still in tip top condition," Hojo said as he pulled out a remote from his coat. "Let's see if the behavior conditioner is still just as good."

Hojo stepped back and pressed a button. Vincent instantly fell back into his coffin, writhing in agony.

Hojo threw his head back and laughed in pleasure. "Ah how this brings back memories," he said sadistically.

"What…the…hell do you want…Hojo?" Vincent managed to push out as the pain still coursed through his body.

Hojo turned off the device and put away the remote.

"Listen up, Valentine," he began. "Shin-Ra has a situation on its hands and needs you to get back to duty. You've been assigned a mission and you will see to its completion, whether you like it or not. Now get up and follow me."

Vincent got up on shaky knees and followed the professor out of the crypt. He knew damned well the consequences of disobeying and did not wish to relive it.

Hojo led him out into the tunnel and up the secret passage that led to the Shin-Ra mansion. Then he guided him outside where there was a chopper waiting for them.

Vincent, having not been allowed outside for nearly a quarter of a century, froze in the entryway, his face flinching in pain as his eyes tried to adjust to the greatly missed sunlight.

Hojo however, was impatient. He simply grabbed the gunman by the upper arm and dragged him out into the front yard. He then pushed the TURK into the helicopter before joining him and closing the door behind them. Once seated, Hojo instructed the pilot to go.

The pilot nodded before turning on the engines and beginning lift-off. Soon they were making their way out of Nibelheim.

Vincent felt ill as the chopper moved along. It shook sharply as it hit turbulence, serving to increase the TURK's discomfort. He grabbed hold tightly of his seat and tried to regulate his breathing in an effort to compose himself.

After a while he started feeling mildly better and realized that Hojo had reached over to a briefcase beside him and was pulling something out of it.

"Listen up now, Valentine," Hojo said as he pulled out an envelope and tossed it into Vincent's lap. "In there are the pictures and information on the three top generals of the SOLDIER division of Shin-Ra army. They are the best, the elite, unrivaled and unparalleled in their field. And your job is to observe them discretely and without detection and to report back whenever you find anything of use."

Vincent looked up to stare at Hojo wearily.

"Yes, Valentine," Hojo nodded, shooting the man a harsh look. "I do mean anything incriminating or that could be used for leverage."

Vincent sighed in resignation and grabbed the enveloped to view its contents. Inside were three snapshots; one of a slender redhead with a lean face with blue-grey eyes, who was donned in crimson leather attire. Another was a man with shoulder-length black hair, blue eyes and strong features. The last was… Vincent's crimson eyes widened in shock as he recognized the person in the picture.

Hojo, who had been expecting this, laughed cruelly at the man's reaction. "Looks familiar, Valentine?"

Vincent turned baleful eyes towards the scientist, but he didn't say anything.

Hojo simply sneered and continued. "Sephiroth is now the general of a modified branch of the army called SOLDIER, Shin-Ra's finest weapon," he said with a hint of pride. "And I'm sure that you'll be happy to know that he, along with the other two, is now your priority."

Vincent said nothing. Outside, the Nibelheim Mountains had disappeared and fields had taken their place. The chopper's movements became smoother.

The rest of the journey was passed in silence.

After a while Midgard's meteor city became visible. Vincent was amazed by how much it had changed, but most of it did not appear for the best.

Soon the chopper slowed down as it approached the helipad. When it finally started its slow descent, Hojo turned back to Vincent with reproach in his eyes.

"I warn you, Valentine," Hojo said with a warning tone. "You are not to interact with the subjects, nor allow them to see you. You simply watch and report. If I sense that your performance is not up to par, or that you are keeping anything from me, I will know. Then, not only will you find yourself back on my dissection table…" Hojo says with a malicious glint, "…but I will allow Sephiroth the pleasure of knowing the name of his mother's killer and the reason for why he's the successful freak he is."

Vincent turned away, guilt and pain evident in his eyes.

Hojo grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Vincent glared back but nodded in understanding.

"Good." The chopper had now landed. Hojo released Vincent and reached for the door.

"Prepare yourself," Hojo instructed him. "Your mission begins now."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

Thanks to TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 3

The Shin-Ra compound was a massive complex that held dozens of buildings and structures on its property and was surrounded by a high wall that separated it from the rest of the world. The buildings ranged from the administrative building with their mission offices to the Shin-Ra tower which occupied the center of the complex; it served as the TURK's main base of operation as well as the generals' apartments and the president's suit. There were also helipads with dozens of choppers lined up perfectly side by side, the barracks that housed thousands of recruits that ranged from all different ages and backgrounds, the mess hall, where the cadets took their meals.

There were also the labs that were attached to the infirmary where one could seek medical help, mako treatments and periodic check-ups. There were the parade grounds that also doubled as athletic fields and could be used to hold shows and exhibitions. There was also the main auditorium were speeches could be held if the president wished to receive a full audience, the officers' building that was reserved only for the high-ranking officers. There were practice halls that were fully equipped with gyms and an assortment of equipment for the recruits' likes and needs.

It was midday and most of the recruits were outside, either on the athletic fields, doing drills and running an obstacles course, or inside in the training halls, working on their swordsmanship. All of those potential soldiers were divided into groups and being overseen by higher ranking officers set to train them and hone their skills to achieve the maximum power and efficiency that Shin-Ra's reputation boasted.

In a secluded part of the training halls a spiky-haired youth with violet eyes and playful temperament swung his practice sword in precise arcs, trying to find an opening, while a tall muscular brunette with a massive blade strapped to his back countered his every attack.

Zack Fair lunged forward to strike his opponent, only for the other to parry his move and send him flying back to fall on his ass.

Angeal Hewley huffed in exasperation and waited for his apprentice to get up again. "Let's try this again," he said before lifting his training sword in preparation.

Zack got up off the floor with a wince.

"Attack me once more," Angeal commanded. "But don't put all your weight behind a strike. Leave room to allow you to maneuver in case you have to counter or retaliate."

Zack nodded and took his stance again. He lunged forward applying only a bit of force behind his blow. When the older man raised his sword to counter Zack quickly pulled back and twirled his sword in a circular arc forcing the other man to counter several swift strikes instead of the feigned one.

Angeal smiled encouragingly at his student before he suddenly started returning with blows of his own.

Zack eeped cutely and quickly set to defending himself. So far, they had been practicing with Zack on the offensive while Angeal maintained a defensive stance so as to improve the youth's speed. But now Angeal was returning the strikes, with fervor, and Zack was struggling to block them. Even when Angeal held back, his strikes were still quick and powerful. Amazingly, somehow Zack had managed to counter every one. But with every strike that had been dealt and countered, the youth had lost ground, until finally he had nowhere to go.

Zack saw that he had been backed up into the wall with Angeal's blade at his throat. With no where to go Zack did the only thing he could think of. He pouted.

Angeal chuckled and shook his head before dropping his blade and backing off.

"You did well today, Zack," the older man said as he sheathed his sword. "Your speed and skill have improved. But you still need work on your technique and I don't think making faces at your enemies will save you."

Zack pulled himself away from the wall and scratched the back of his head, still pouting. "But I got that move right, didn't I?" Zack asked.

Angeal nodded.

"Sweet!" Zack exclaimed jubilantly.

"Yes, now all you have to do is repeat it over and over again until it becomes second nature to you," Angeal said. "So while I go check in with Genesis, you will stay here and practice."

Zack groaned in disappointment but nodded anyway.

Angeal smiled and turned to leave.

Unbeknownst to both men, crimson spheres watched. Vincent had been perched on a ledge on the building across from the training halls, watching. Mako-infused eyes and enhanced hearing had allowed him to see and hear everything that occurred in that training hall, regardless of the distance.

He watched Hewley leave his apprentice and make his way towards the Shin-Ra tower. Vincent left his perch and followed.

The files that he had read on all 3 generals had been brimming with praise. Their lists of triumphs and successes were endless. It had also provided him an insight in the workings of SOLDIER and what their members were capable of. No wonder Hojo had thought to employ Vincent.

A job like this would have posed an immense challenge for any TURK trailing an ordinary SOLDIER. But to try and follow the three top first class commanders without detection would have been impossible. Especially when you considered that the present TURKS had not been subjected to mako treatments.

The first subject he had come upon while scouring the compound had been Hewley. What he had read on Angeal Hewley had told him that the man was a commander and head of the second-class SOLDIERS. He had taken on an apprentice - an unprecedented occurrence, since there were no apprenticeship programs in SOLDIER.

Vincent could recall how such things were more likely to happen with the TURKS, since the job demands of being a TURK were far more substantial and delicate, and often required the steering hand of someone with experience and wit when it came to matters of utmost sensitivity. An example would be Vincent's present mission.

Vincent had been watching Hewley coach his student from a distance for only a few hours and already he was coming up with different ideas. The man's demeanor indicated the standard relationship that connected student and teacher, but Vincent had sensed undercurrents between them as well. Especially from the apprentice. It seemed that this Zack-youth might possess some strong feelings for his mentor. But whether this could be useful or not had yet to be determined. He would just have to wait and see if those innocent feelings developed into something far more substantial or would simply remain a harmless admiration.

Vincent silently followed Angeal to the Shin-Ra Tower. He watched the man enter through the front door and debated on how to follow him. It was midday and there were a lot of people around, with Vincent's _unique _appearance he was very likely to stand out. The back entrance was also out of the question, he didn't know where the other man was heading.

With the standard options out, Vincent made his way to the roof where the ventilation shafts were located. They were too narrow to support anyone, so Vincent called on his cloak form and entered.

The shadow cape that was now Vincent's form glided quietly through the air vents, sneaking glances every while to see if he could catch sight of the 1st class SOLDIER.

A few floors later, Vincent found the commander. He was on a terrace talking to the red-head from the photos, Genesis.

"How was your mission?"

"It went…well," Genesis replied quietly.

Angeal, having known his friend for so long, caught the slight hesitation in his voice. "Genesis?" Angeal asked, a bit concerned.

But Genesis wasn't looking at him, nor did he seem interested in the view below.

"Angeal, do you know what 3-PAMC1 is used for?" the redhead asked, still looking out into the distance.

Angeal blinked, not quite comprehending why Genesis was asking.

"I'm not really sure, you may want to ask a chemist," Angeal said puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you know that it is the main component in Sarin GB nerve gas?" Genesis asked.

Angeal shook his head a bit uneasily. He was already getting a hint of what Genesis was getting to.

Genesis sighed and finally turned to look at Angeal.

"While I was in Wutai, I received orders to vacate the occupants of a couple of villages and inspect the area for militant groups," Genesis began. "I did as I was told and asked the residents to relocate momentarily while we searched the area. The villagers left without stirring trouble or trying anything, most of them had been women and young children, but when I went to begin the search I found that some of my platoons had brought with them time-trigger containers full of 3-PAMC1 and Atropine and were strategically hiding them inside buildings around the village."

Angeal's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"It was a breach of the Geneva Protocol. I caught them and was about to have them arrested, when I heard gunfire coming from behind the hill where the villagers were herded and left to wait. I rushed there, and what do you think I found?" Genesis asked, not really expecting Angeal to answer. "All the villagers had been killed. Children and woman shot dead, and the guards I had placed there just standing there doing nothing. I grabbed one of them, and do you know what he said? He said that the militia militants were responsible." Genesis turned to Angeal with disbelieving eyes. "Militants!" Genesis emphasized. "Since when do Wutian use firearms? And since when do all the civilians get killed while the soldiers remain unharmed?"

The look on Angeal's face was enough for Genesis to confirm what he was trying to say.

Vincent listened and observed, his TURK's mind already perceiving more than what was present.

For now he was done with these two. Now he could proceed with what he had been both dreading and anticipating. Vincent left to search for Sephiroth.

*

The silver-haired child that had once experienced a small share of Vincent's suffering was no longer a child.

Not by any meaning of the word.

Even as the general was bent over his desk, working on his reports, Vincent could still see the man that he had become. The photos Hojo had shown him didn't do the man justice.

Sephiroth had matured, had gained height and girth. He wasn't the same small scrawny infant that used to bellow out in his clothes. That lovely silver hair had grown to the same length as Vincent's. The baby fat that had used to give him such a cute face was gone, only to be replaced by chiseled features. Donned in leather and armor, he looked like an angel. He looked so much like his mother, Lucrecia. It hurt to look at him.

Vincent was struck with the conflicting urges of wanting to stay and watch or leave and report.

His decision was taken from him when suddenly the general halted his work and looked up. It seemed that he was looking for something, something that wasn't there.

Vincent's crimson eyes widened. He feared detection. It was time to go.

With a final parting look, Vincent glided away, unaware that his presence had already given him away.

Sephiroth, who had been going over the reports since noon, froze. A frown adorned his handsome face. Something was wrong.

Sephiroth looked up from his report in order to survey his office. Nothing moved, nothing was out of place, and there was no sound.

His green cat-slit eyes widened in shock.

There was no sound.

Sephiroth's breath hitched.

There was no sound!

He couldn't hear it. It was gone. The voice! The feminine voice that had plagued his mind since childhood was silent.

Sephiroth's heart pounded with relief and uneasiness. For the first time in years, the dreadful bitter voice that had plagued his every waking moment was hushed.

He abandoned his work and sat back, willing himself to relish the long-awaited peace.

After a quarter of an hour the voice returned. 'Sephiroth, my son, come to me.'

Sephiroth gasped in shock. He stood and turned to lean against the window. The silver-haired general stared out at the setting sun as he tried to regain his composure.

Once he felt calm again, his mind began to turn.

Why had it stopped?

The voice never stopped, it would always continue on and on, ceaselessly, warring down on Sephiroth's mind. But for a while there, it had stopped.

What could this possibly mean? What had brought it on?

Sephiroth looked out at the view as many questions filled his mind.

TBC

Note: I've never played Crisis Core so I'm not sure if Wutai uses firearms. If they do, I apologize for the mistake, and any others in the story.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

WARNINGS: Language, non-consent, hints of non-consent and whatever else may turn up.

I would like to thank TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 4

Hojo watched the small red dot as it made its way across the Shin-Ra compound headed towards the labs. Valentine was one highly skilled TURK, had Hojo not been keeping track of him on his monitor he was sure he would have jumped several feet off the ground when he turned around to see the mercenary standing directly behind him. The man hadn't made a single noise or disruption as he sneaked in. He knew he had picked the right person for the job.

"Report."

Vincent delivered swiftly all that he had seen and heard in a monotonous sound and with an inscrutable face.

"I scoured the compound as a preliminary assessment of the area. The first subject to cross my path was Hewley. I followed the commander to the training area where he met with his apprentice and spent several hours training. Once done, Hewley exited the gym, leaving his apprentice with instructions to continue training unsupervised. Then the commander made his way towards the Shin-Ra tower to meet with Rhapsodos where they discussed the commander's mission. Rhapsodos discussed some aspects of what had occurred and expressed his displeasure on some matter. I then left to locate the general. I found him in his office, going over his paperwork. I observed him for a while before leaving to report."

Hojo listened intently, his ears perked for the slightest hint of deception. He could hear nothing unusual, but then the TURK was smooth with his words and could keep many things hidden when he wished to. That's why Hojo had built the thermal and neural Lie Detector.

As Vincent was giving his report, Hojo had his eyes trained on a small handheld screen displaying Valentine's stats. The red and yellow markers had remained stable for the most part of the report, only seeming to become agitated when it came to Hewley and Sephiroth.

This meant two things. First, that Valentine had picked up on something on Hewley he did not wish to share. Second, that Valentine was still shaken by seeing Sephiroth again.

Hojo looked Valentine straight in the eye. The other was still cool and collected as ever.

"What else?" Hojo pressed.

"There is nothing else," Vincent replied monotonously, not batting an eye. "There is nothing else of significance to report."

Hojo kept his eyes locked on Vincent's face. "Are you certain there is nothing else you wish to tell me?" Hojo asked again.

Vincent was quiet."No."

Hojo clucked his tongue and shook his head in a show of disappointment. "Oh Valentine," Hojo said in exasperation as he pulled the remote out of his inner pocket. "You know better than to lie to me."

Hojo smirked up at Valentine maliciously before pressing the button for the Behavior Conditioner.

Valentine instantly hit the floor in convulsions. After 5 minutes of letting the TURK writhe and listening to his held-back screams, Hojo turned the device off.

"What are you keeping from me, Valentine?" Hojo demanded calmly.

"I…a-already…to-told you," Vincent struggled, his eyes closed in pain. "Nothing imp- important."

"Really?!" Hojo prodded as he stood up from his seat and began to circle the collapsed man, "Because my screen showed me that your temperature and synapse pitch increased when you mentioned Hewley and the General; a sure sign of emotional stress and possible deception. In other words: you're lying, TURK, or at least you're keeping something to yourself."

Hojo pressed the button again, this time putting it on the highest setting.

It took all of Vincent's willpower not to scream. The Behavior Conditioner was bad when it was set to normal power, but it was pure agony when powered up. His body would go completely rigid, every muscle tensed to the point that he felt they would break his bones or snap from the joints.

Hojo waited for a good ten minutes before turning the Behavior Conditioner off again.

"Well?" Hojo came to stand right over the TURK's head.

Vincent collapsed, completely motionless, trying to regain his breath. After a few seconds he managed to speak. "I…I detected faint undercurrents between Hewley and his apprentice, Zack Fair. It appears to be mostly an innocent crush the commander may not even return. Sephiroth…" Hojo took another deep breath, "I was surprised to see Sephiroth again. That is all."

Hojo frowned. He had been staring at the hand held screen in his other palm watching to see if Valentine was going to deceive him again. The stats had held steady, indicating that the man was telling the truth.

"That's it?" he asked frustrated. "You made me waste my time just for that?"

Vincent smirked up at the doctor from the floor. "I wanted to see if I could put a few more wrinkles on that hideous visage."

Hojo's eyes widened and his hands shook in rage. He pulled his foot back and kicked the TURK in the ribs.

At any other time Vincent would have found the weak kick laughable, but since his body was still hypersensitive from the punishment he gasped in pain and curled in on himself.

Hojo stomped back to his desk and put the Lie Detector away. "Get up," he ordered.

Vincent coughed before summoning enough strength to lift himself back to his feet and wait for further instructions.

Hojo turned back to Vincent.

"Go back and watch them," Hojo snapped. "And next time, you better damn well have something useful to report or I'll modify the Behavior Conditioner to reach higher settings than the ones it has now," Hojo threatened as he stood in front of Vincent. "Understood?"

Vincent nodded.

Hojo reached up and grasped Vincent's chin before stepping forward to lay a kiss on the side of the man's neck. He chuckled as he felt the TURK shudder in disgust but not step away. He knew better than to flinch away from Hojo's advances, Hojo had taught him the consequences of rejecting him.

"You truly are a marvelous sample, Valentine," Hojo said, still not drawing away. "So beautiful, must have caught the attention of every man and woman around. Every dick would have been aching and every pussy creaming when you passed by. It's a good thing you're an unstoppable killing machine now. Today's Shin-Ra men would have traded you back and forth. There would have been no end to the things done to you."

Vincent growled. "Not that it has ever stopped you."

Hojo chuckled as he ran his lips over the sleek slender neck."Oh, we had fun together didn't we?" Hojo said.

"You had fun, Hojo," Vincent said bitterly. "I wasn't given a choice in the matter. I'm not surprised that you have to rape someone to get it up. It's not like you could have convinced anyone to jump into bed with you willingly."

Hojo drew back and slapped Vincent across the face. "Have we forgotten who stole my wife, TURK?" Hojo sneered.

"No wonder Lucrecia slept around," Vincent taunted. "If you were all she had to go back home to, then it's no surprise she shared the bed of others."

Hojo slapped him again. Vincent didn't attempt to dodge.

"OUT! NOW!" Hojo yelled. "Before I decide you'll serve better as an anatomy model."

Vincent didn't wait for further instructions; he simply disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Outside, the sun had already set and most of the SOLDIERS were heading back for the night as was instructed per their curfew.

Vincent watched as the fields emptied, the vehicles and equipment were stored away and the lights coming from the barracks were turned off as the street lights came on.

The TURK wasn't sure if he was supposed to go spy on his targets or not. It was already getting late and almost everyone was heading in for the night. It wasn't like Vincent required any sleep. He could go for months on only 2 hours worth of sleep. He knew that, thanks to a sadistic little experiment concocted by Hojo. Despite that, the TURK resigned himself to go search for his targets' whereabouts.

He already knew where Rhapsodos lived and decided to search from there. Vincent left the lab's roof and moved back in the direction of the Shin-Ra tower. After arriving to find Rhapsodos' lights still on and the man moving around in his apartment, Vincent moved to search for the others' apartments. The task was fairly easy, it turned out that all three generals lived right next door to each other. Hewley's apartment was right of Rhapsodos while Sephiroth's was on the left.

From his perch on the roof of a lower building attached to the tower, Vincent could see that both Hewley and Sephiroth's lights were out, indicating that the two had already turned in for the night while Rhapsodos appeared to be getting dressed, obviously planning a night out.

Vincent decided that it would be best to trail the redhead tonight. Vincent glanced in the direction of Sephiroth's dark bedroom window. He knew he shouldn't, but the redhead was still carting through his wardrobe, trying on different outfits and taking his sweet time getting ready. A pure-born Metrosexual. Vincent sighed. He'd go in and check on Sephiroth, just a quick glance, and then leave to trail the general's friend.

Vincent quickly left his perch and darted across the roof before he leaped with one great bound to land silently and perfectly on a narrow ledge under the window. He crouched down under the window motionless, his ears strained for any movement. He heard nothing but slow breathing, indicating that the occupant was indeed asleep. Vincent raised his head and peered inside through the open window.

It was a damn good thing that Vincent was good at what he did, because the general's bed was directly under the window Vincent was standing on. Had anyone tried the feat Vincent had, he was sure they would have woken Sephiroth up and alerted the whole compound.

The general was asleep on his back, the covers pulled up to his naked chest, silver hair fanning around his head like a halo, and one arm was flung over his head to cover his head. Asleep, the man still looked beautiful. But haunted.

Sephiroth's face was marred by a frown. It appeared that the silver-haired general was suffering from nightmares. He tossed and turned a bit as though fighting something. Vincent wanted nothing more than to reach out and soothe away the fear. He was so close. But it turned out he didn't need to.

Sephiroth suddenly paused in his movements and released a contented sigh as though whatever had been plaguing him had been chased away.

Before Vincent could contemplate what it might it have been, he heard the sound of the front door of Rhapsodos's apartments swoosh open, indicating that the redhead was finally done.

Vincent stared at Sephiroth a bit longer before turning to pursue the redhead. He leapt down and left the Shin-Ra tower to sit on top of a column, waiting for the redhead to exit via the main entrance.

As the TURK waited, a yellow blur flashed in the corner of his vision. Vincent turned around to see a small cadet quickly making his way across the compound into an alley between two buildings. The cadet had spiky blond hair, big bright blue eyes, had a small frame, and a cherubic baby face. The kid looked like jail bait. He was also obviously trying to sneak out after curfew.

Vincent watched the cadet approach the mouth of the alley before suddenly halting in alarm. Two faints shadows appeared infront of him. Vincent heard voices come from the dark.

"Look what we have here."

"Aren't you the cutest little thing!"

The blond, who was obviously terrified, took a step back.

Vincent heard the boy mutter a response of: "No, don't!" before trying to turn around and run. Except two pairs of large burly arms darted out and pulled the blond in. At that exact moment, the front door of the Shin-Ra tower opened and Vincent's target walked out.

Rhapsodos, clad in tight black fitting denim and a crimson shirt, walked out in the direction of the gates, unaware of what was taking place in the alley of the next building.

Vincent stared at Rhapsodos and then back at the alley, then back at Rhapsodos.

He couldn't leave the cadet to his fate. Vincent's conscience wouldn't allow him. After all, he knew what it was like to be taken against one's will. He could catch up with Rhapsodos later, the man stuck out in a crowd nearly as much as Vincent.

The small cadet struggled furiously, but futilely in an attempt to escape. His captors were far larger and stronger than him and held him down with little effort.

Cloud knew he shouldn't have left his room. These two behemoth Neanderthals, Jason and Blain, had been out to get him for a while, always trying to molest him, looking at him with leery eyes, prodding him with suggestive gestures. If he hadn't stuck to large crowds and remained indoors they wouldn't have slipped the chance to jump him. Just like now.

Blain was holding Cloud's wrists behind his back with one hand and covering his mouth with the other to prevent him from screaming for help. Jason stood in front of him, taking off his shirt to reveal the hairy muscular chest underneath.

"Well, pretty little Strife? It looks like we've finally got you," Jason taunted.

"Yeah," Blain breathed in Cloud's ear. "Didn't think you could hide forever, did you?"

Cloud didn't respond, just tried to struggle free from the other's grip, which only served to arouse his captors.

Blain groaned as he felt the petite body move accidently against his erection. "We're going to have so much fun with you, Strife," he moaned.

Cloud was thoroughly terrified. He was going to get raped and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Jason was already bare-chested and starting to remove his pants.

Just as all hope seemed lost and Cloud was about to resign to his fate, suddenly a shadow passed the alley's only light.

All three turned their eyes, but saw nothing.

"Did you see something?" Blain asked, still not releasing Cloud.

Jason stared at the mouth of the alley but couldn't see anyone."Probably just a power surge," he said. "Come on, let's get this over with before someone sees us."

But before Jason could drop his pants, he was suddenly grabbed by his shoulders and lifted up into the air to disappear silently into the dark sky.

Blain gasped and released his hold on Cloud. The smaller boy stumbled into the wall and slid down to the ground. They both turned their eyes up and around, fear quite evident in their eyes.

"Where is he?! Where the fuck did he go?!" Blain's voice quivered with fear, his eyes darting left and right as he turned around and around in fear, trying to see what had taken the other away.

They had both been staring at Jason, but all they had seen was a pair of claws grab the other bully by his shoulders and fly away with him into the dark night. The missing man hadn't even managed to release a single sound before disappearing.

Cloud lay huddled, his eyes also scanning the pitch black sky, but he too could not see anything and he was too petrified to move.

Panic began to overwhelm the other would-be rapist and soon any thought for his friend vanished, replaced by self-preservation.

"Fuck this," Blain said to himself. "I'm out of here."

Blain was about to turn and bolt out of the alley only for a black and red blur to flash and strike the man. He went soaring into the air to hit the wall with a resounding thud before falling on the ground.

Cloud, utterly terrified now, stood up, his head snapping right and left for the attacker. But he could see no one, no one at all. He stood there frozen and waited for whatever it was that had attacked Blain and taken Jason to come for him.

But when 5 minutes had passed and nothing had come out of the shadows, Cloud turned to the mouth of the alley and ran away in the direction of the barracks.

Vincent stayed hidden in the shadows and watched the small blond run away. The task was done, he had saved the blond. Now he could go back to his mission. The TURK left to follow Genesis.

Cloud darted across the compound in a mad dash for the barracks, scared out of his mind. He was so focused on getting to safety he didn't notice when someone intercepted his way.

Cloud ran right into the defined chest and felt hands grasp him to hold him steady. The blond cadet froze in sheer terror, thinking that the monster from the alley had chased him down.

"Cloud? Where have you been, Cloud? I've been waiting for you for like 15 minutes." Zack looked down at the smaller boy in his arms and noticed that the blond looked pale, even in the fluorescent street lights, and his face, which had always been the cutest thing in Zack's mind, was twisted in fear.

"Cloud?! What's wrong, Cloud?" Zack asked, his own face filled with fear and alarm as he wrapped his arms tightly around his friend. "Tell me what's wrong, please? Please, tell me what happened?"

Cloud, finally recognizing the voice of his best friend Zack, snapped out of his stupor, clutched tightly to him, and began to stutter. His eyes were still darting left and right as though expecting something to lunge out of the shadows to fly off with him.

"I-I-I…I came…t-to…to…m-m-meet you…Jason…B-Blain…"

Zack's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger as he recognized the names of the two bullies. He had already pieced the first half of the puzzle together. He held Cloud tighter to him.

"Cloud…Did they…Did they hurt you?" Zack asked, trying to reign in his fury.

Cloud's eyes closed, his entire body trembling. "Th-They…They tried…but then…then something-something, I don't know what. It came…it came and took Jason away, flew away with him," Cloud stuttered, recalling the events. "And Blain…it…it…threw him into the wall. I thought that it would come for me…I ran away …" Cloud broke off sobbing.

Zack listened to all this while running his hands up and down Cloud's back, trying to calm the other. Cloud was obviously too distraught, his condition far too tensed. The rest would have to wait for tomorrow morning.

"Shhh! Cloud," Zack hushed the upset blond. "I'm here. I'm here. I'll protect you."

Zack began to guide the tired blond to his apartment, intent on keeping a close vigil on the little cadet. Once he had had time to rest and calm down they would talk about it in the morning and get the full details before Zack would hunt down Jason and Blain and castrate them for what they did.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

I would like to thank TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 5

Cloud crawled from under the covers of the bed, his hair even messier than usual, and his eyes a miserable blood-shot red from crying on Zack's shoulders for the majority of the previous night. The cot beside his bed – or more accurately, Zack's bed – was empty of said individual, outside the sun had risen, but he didn't get up.

Zack had told him the night before to rest and stay in today, that he would talk with Cloud's drill sergeant and allow him to skip a week of training under the pretense of illness.

As though summoned by his thoughts, Cloud heard the front door of Zack's apartment open. Footsteps paused momentarily before continuing until they were outside the bedroom.

The door swung open to reveal Zack's worried visage.

Seeing his little buddy awake, Zack gave the blond a tentative smile.

"Good morning Spiky," Zack said as he approached the bed. "How are you feeling today?"

Cloud's head dropped and his shoulders drooped. "Better," the blond mumbled, obviously the opposite.

Zack's small smile fell. He hated seeing his friend like this. The blond cadet was too cute to be exposed to the ugliness of the world. It made Zack want to protect him from all the danger and harm out there.

The second class soldier entered the bedroom and approached the bed, making sure not make any sudden movements. Cloud was in a fragile state and it wouldn't do to spook him any more than he already was.

"Well, I think you'll be happy to know that I went down this morning to the barracks to find and beat the living shit out of Jason and Blain," Zack said as he moved to sit on the bed beside his friend.

Cloud's head shot up to reveal frightened blue orbs at the news, but he kept silent, wanting to hear the rest.

"But I couldn't find them anywhere," Zack continued. "I asked their commanding officer for their whereabouts, and he told me that they were in the infirmary in the ICU for critical injuries."

If possible, Cloud's eyes held even more fear than before.

Spotting the emotions in the blue depths, Zack moved closer to Cloud and wrapped his arms around the trembling shoulders to embrace him. He whispered and cooed to the frightened chocobo head as he ran his fingers through the spiky locks. When he felt the other's trembling subside momentarily, he continued.

"I went to the infirmary and they were both unconscious, and barely recognizable. Whoever or whatever attacked them has roughened them up pretty good."

Cloud whimpered and crawled closer to Zack. The second class soldier tightened his arms around the small blonde and laid a kiss on top of the golden locks before he continued.

"I called Angeal a few minutes ago, he's coming here now. You can tell us both the whole story and Angeal will deal with those two idiots once they've regained consciousness."

Cloud hesitantly nodded into Zack's chest. He wasn't particularly looking forward to it, not a bit. But he knew he should, and he trusted Zack's judgment.

*

Sephiroth had what many had called a stoic face, others deemed it cold, some inscrutable, but all would agree that deciphering the General's expressions would be equivalent to reading ancient Wutian scriptures while intoxicated. The man held his emotions close to heart and hid all expressions, only to be understood by a select few close to him. But even those couldn't completely unlock the complicated mystery that was the general's workings.

Had any of them understood the complex brain that resided behind those green cat-slit eyes, they would have seen an emotion that was quite alien to Sephiroth: Bafflement.

Sephiroth was currently on the athletic fields overseeing the recruits' training, but his mind was a million miles away. He had merely come here to think while pretending to watch the soldiers' progress.

Poor things, they were trying so hard to impress the General, oblivious to the fact that the man's thoughts were elsewhere other than on their wretched faces. That eidetic mind was busy recalling disturbances brought on in his sleep.

It wasn't because he was lacking rest from inadequate sleep, but quite the opposite. For the first time in decades, Sephiroth had managed a good night's rest.

Every night since Sephiroth could remember, he had been plagued by nightmares. The nightmares were of a silver-haired woman going on a rampage, calling him 'son', and killing all life-forms without the slightest bit of mercy or remorse. She would stand in the blood of the fallen, the land around her barren and desolate, before turning to Sephiroth to beckon him forth. The bitter sweet voice would call to him with a loving look on her face.

She frightened him. He couldn't stand her, was utterly revolted by her and by the scene around them. So he would refuse her. The loving look on the mysterious woman's face would disappear.

The dream would come again and again, exactly the same as always, every single evening. But last night had been different. The chain had been broken.

Again the silver-haired woman had returned to stand amidst the massacre, her blood-stained hands stretched to him, asking him to join her. Sephiroth had once again shaken his head, refusing her. The woman's face had contorted into fury and disdain. Fear had struck his heart as she had approached him. Rage in her eyes, hands lifted to deal out familiar pain. Sephiroth had yet again been frozen in place, unable to either run or defend himself.

Just as she had been upon him, suddenly the area around them had changed. And from what he had managed to perceive from the expression on her face, it hadn't been her doing.

Gone had been the corpses, the blood and the wastelands. And in their place had been pitch black darkness. The General had been completely taken aback by the look in her eyes. The anger in the mysterious woman's eyes had been replaced by fear. She had turned her head away from him to shirk and hiss in spite at something creeping in the shadows.

Sephiroth had strained his eyes in the direction the other had been retreating from. A figure had emerged from the darkness; a body shrouded in black and crimson, dragon-like wings, sulfurous eyes and fangs exposed in aggression.

Sephiroth had heard the woman hiss at the new arrival.

_'Demon! Filthy Demon! Be gone! This does not concern you!'_

The demon had growled menacingly. The sound had been so deep, so intimidating, it had caused the both of them to shiver in fear.

_'Wretched Virus! For how long do you plan on haunting this boy? Have you not learned? Have you not atoned for your crimes?'_

The woman had not answered, but had screamed in fury before launching herself forward to attack the new being.

The other had simply caught her in one golden claw before crushing her head in.

The dream had then faded away and Sephiroth had drifted off into a deep, surprisingly restful slumber.

Sephiroth stood at the head of the field, pondering what it could all mean. No answers would come to him.

Even though he was consumed in thought, Sephiroth managed to snap himself out of his reverie to see someone darting across the fields in a hurried pace. The General's keen eyes locked on to the figure to see Angeal quickly making his way from the gyms to the apartment buildings.

Reading the urgency in the other's body language, Sephiroth immediately followed. In a flash too quick to be followed by normal eyes, he was at Angeal's side, matching his stride.

Angeal halted and turned to his friend, a bit startled at the other's sudden presence, but welcomed it just the same.

"Oh, hello, Seph, didn't see you there."

"Angeal, is something the matter?" Sephiroth asked. "You seem a bit distressed."

"I'm fine," Angeal answered while they resumed walking in the direction that Angeal had been heading in. "I've just received a call from Zack, saying he needs to meet me at his apartment. There's an emergency that he needs to discuss with me immediately."

"Do you wish for me to come with you?" Sephiroth asked.

Sephiroth was a friend of Zack's, has been ever since the younger man caught the attention of one of his childhood friends. The second class SOLDIER's powerful character and friendly countenance had managed to earn him a special place among Sephiroth's affections. He would wish to assist the other without hesitance in any manner he could.

Angeal nodded, secretly happy that Sephiroth had offered. He was always one to encourage his friend on socializing more.

The two made their way to the building where Zack's apartment was and stepped out of the elevator at the desired floor.

Angeal knocked on Zack's door. A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal Zack's distraught face.

"Angeal, good, you've made it," Zack smiled and stepped back to allow his mentor inside. He then noticed the second figure beside him. "Hey Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" He ushered the two towards the living room before closing the door.

"Angeal informs me that there's a problem. I thought I might offer my assistance if possible."

"I appreciate the offer Seph," Zack said. "But the problem is with Cloud. He's in my bedroom right now, upset and scared. Something happened to him last night and I wanted Angeal here to hear it. He's used to Angeal, so will talk to him, but he'll get scared if he sees the General here."

Angeal and Sephiroth nodded, understanding the predicament.

"I'll go and talk to him," Angeal said. "Sephiroth, could you please wait here till we're done?"

"Of course."

Sephiroth waited in the living room as Zack and Angeal made their way to Cloud.

Angeal allowed his apprentice to enter first before following.

The small blond cadet was perched on the bed. When he saw Zack enter, followed closely by Angeal, he offered a small shy smile, but drew the covers higher up around him.

"Hello commander," Cloud greeted in a timid voice. Because of his relationship with Zack, Cloud was quite familiar with Commander Hewley, but the small blonde still found it difficult to shake the star-struck behavior out of his system.

Angeal sighed in mock exasperation. "Cloud, what have I told you about addressing me while in private?" Angeal asked as he came to stand by the bed.

"Sorry, I meant Angeal," Cloud corrected.

Angeal smiled, pleased.

"Good," he said. "Zack has told me that something occurred last night. Something bad I presume?" Angeal asked carefully.

Cloud's eyes dropped to the covers as though they were the most interesting thing in the world. His head snapped up when he felt the bed dip beside him and warm strong arms wrap around him. Zack had moved to sit down beside him and embrace him. The second class SOLDIER gave the little cadet an encouraging smile that helped the other summon up the courage to talk.

"Last night I sneaked out my room after curfew, I wanted to go out for a bit into the city," Cloud began hesitantly. "While I was passing the administration building…Jason and Blain…followed me and ambushed me in an alley," Cloud's voice hitched a bit, but he continued. "They grabbed me, pulled me aside…and tried to…tried to rape me."

Cloud's eyes were still trained down in shame so he missed the furious looks on both Zack's and Angeal's faces, but he felt Zack's arms tighten in anger and reassurance while Angeal suppressed the growl that threatened to escape. The blond took a deep breath and continued. "They were just about to, when something suddenly grabbed Jason and flew off with him."

Both Angeal and Zack's eyes widened.

"Did you say 'flew off'?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded and continued. "Blain then tried to run out of the alley, but whatever it was that had taken Jason, hit him and threw him into the wall." Cloud recalled the fear that had encompassed him that night. He never thought he'd ever been more terrified in his entire life. "I thought it would come at me. But when it didn't, I ran. Didn't really care where I was going, just needed to get out of there. And that's when I ran into Zack."

Angeal listened to all of it, trying to make sense of it. Not only had the cadet been nearly raped – a crime Angeal was sure to make both recruits pay dearly for – but he had had a confrontation with some type of monster.

"Don't worry about Jason and Blain, I'll deal with them, _personally_," Angeal said, a slightly menacing tone underlying in his voice.

The blond cadet gave a small nod, but moved further into Zack's embrace.

"Cloud, did you manage to see the monster?" the commander asked.

Cloud shook his head. "No, I only saw its claws as it grabbed Jason before it flew off with him and a red blur before it tossed Blain into the wall."

Zack slightly perked up at this.

"Could you identify the monster by the claws or talons it had?" the second asked. Maybe if it had been a griffon or some other type of winged creature that had strayed from the grassy areas around. Something they could hunt down and remove silently and quickly without causing panic through the compound.

Again, Cloud shook his head.

"Was there anything distinguishable about the creature?" Angeal asked. "Feathers, scales, or a sound it made?"

"No, I didn't hear anything," Cloud said. But then he suddenly froze. "But I remember seeing that one of its claws had a shine to it in the light, as though it was metallic, like it was covered with bronze or gold."

Back in the living room Sephiroth's breathing hitched. The silver-haired General had been standing by the window, watching the view and listening to the conversation inside. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. It was just that his hearing was so acute that the smallest sounds did not go undetected.

'A golden claw?' the words rang ostentatiously through his mind. His mind brought him back to his dream.

The mysterious woman had hung in the claws of the new arrival, one claw black, and the other gold.

No, it could not possibly be a coincidence.

Later, when Angeal and Zack exited the bedroom, Sephiroth was not there.

TBC

Please remember to Read and Review.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

Thanks to TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 6

The leather-clad TURK jumped over the wall and landed safely hidden away in the canopy of a tree inside the Shin-Ra compound. The sun was just rising over the mako clouds of Midgard's horizon and sleepy troopers were taking to the fields again. Vincent released a sigh of relief once he was inside.

He never knew he would actually ever feel relief at seeing this place again. But a night trailing Genesis Rhapsodos would do that to you.

Vincent was by no means a philistine. He had always had a penchant for fine arts. Back in his day he could more often than not be found attending either the museum or a gallery (especially if there were guns on exhibit), or the theatre. And Vincent had always thought that he would keep that affinity for the years to come. Well, not any more.

Not after last night. Not after having to tail the redhead to 3 successive plays for Loveless one after another, going to the movie version and a Loveless convention. Now Vincent had lost his interest in the theatre.

In fact, it was even safe to say that Vincent now despised everything that was even remotely related to the damn book.

He decided to put the wasted night behind him and move on to the next target.

The dark-haired TURK sneaked through the compound, dodging detection from the surveillance cameras and the rousing soldiers as he sought Sephiroth.

Two hours into his search Vincent had yet to find the General.

Another two hours later he had spotted Hewley and Rhapsodos. The former had been marching out of the infirmary with a furious look on his face. The other was sitting in his apartment, but still no sign of Sephiroth.

By the fifth hour, Vincent was convinced that the other was on a mission off-base and that he had missed him. But further investigations proved otherwise. Something was wrong.

*

Four Days Later

"What do you mean, you can't find him?" Angeal demanded angrily.

Unperturbed, Lazard fixed his glasses higher onto his nose.

"I mean that officially; Sephiroth has been sent away on a confidential assignment. In actuality and off the record; the general has been missing for three days," Lazard said. "He left no message on where he was going or when he would be coming back."

"How can this be?" Angeal asked. "Sephiroth would not just get up and leave like this without notice."

"Well, as you and Genesis are two of the General's closest friends, and some of the last to see him, I was hoping you could give me a clue as to his disappearance," Lazard said.

Angeal sighed and dropped his head as different ideas surfaced in his mind, but each was quickly discarded as none of them appeared plausible. Sephiroth had always been the most steadfast SOLDIER of them all and this was very out of character for the stoic man.

Angeal turned and left. He found these latest events troubling and he had no idea what to make of them.

*

Hojo glared.

Vincent stared back unflinchingly.

"The General's missing," Hojo said in a deceptively calm voice. "Has been missing for a couple of days."

Vincent still said nothing.

"Where is he, Valentine?"

"I do not know," Vincent said monotonously.

Hojo ever-so-calmly pulled out the controls and turned on the behavior conditioner. Vincent hit the ground in a writhing mess.

"You lost him," Hojo said in the same steady voice. "You, the best TURK, dead or alive, lost the General."

Hojo allowed the other's punishment to proceed for a few more minutes before he let up on the controls and allowed Vincent a small reprieve.

Vincent shuddered a bit, his body twitching. He waited a few minutes before he spoke.

"You know, Hojo, I'm only one man, how do you expect me to keep my eyes on all three targets at once."

"But that's just it, Valentine," Hojo retorted. "You're not a man. You're a monster."

Vincent failed to suppress a wince at Hojo's words. Damn it! He knew he was an abomination. He did not need Hojo to remind him of that.

"Maybe I've been too lenient with you, Valentine," Hojo said as he set the controls to their highest levels. The crimson-caped man was assaulted once again with pain.

"Maybe I have been allowing you too much leeway," Hojo continued as he began to pace around the room, ignoring the fallen man's torment. "Why else would you have slacked off on your duties and allowed one of the subjects to get away?"

Hojo stopped pacing and moved over to a work console to fiddle around with the remote.

A few minutes later, Vincent's body began thrashing violently. Agony, unlike any he had felt from Hojo hands before, coursed through his already tortured figure. Hojo had just added a higher setting.

Hojo didn't bother to say anything. The scientist merely returned to his computer and began doing some arbitrary work.

A couple of hours later, Hojo turned the behavior conditioner off and moved back towards Vincent. He viewed the panting, twitching man for a few minutes before using his boot to push him onto his back to reveal the pale sweat-soaked face, and pain-filled eyes.

"Get up," Hojo ordered.

Vincent took a deep breath and attempted to move, only to collapse back onto the ground. He tried again, with the same results. He was just far too exhausted to get up on his own power.

Hojo, seeing the other's plight, harrumphed. But suddenly a malicious grin broke out on his face.

"Oh how foolish of me! How could I forget?" Hojo said.

The spectacled scientist left for a few minutes before returning with a plastic bag filled with a crimson liquid. He kneeled down in front of Vincent and grabbed the long dark hair to force the other's head up, before pushing the bag against the other's lips.

The moment Vincent got a whiff of the contents, his eyes started glowing, his mouth started salivating, his fangs lengthened, and his body thrummed with hunger.

But despite his hunger, Vincent tried to push the offered bag away.

"No! Not again. Never again!" the crimson-eyed gunman tried to protest.

Hojo merely chuckled malevolently and squeezed some of the contents onto the other's lips. The moment the first drops leaked into Vincent's mouth, he forgot everything else and snatched the blood-bag to suck it dry. Vincent drank down the crimson liquid, simultaneously reveling in the taste of the nutritious substance and despising himself for having to need it.

Out of all the monstrosities that Hojo tainted his body with, the gift of vampirism had been the worst. It made Vincent feel less human than he already did. He had tried to resist, had tried to fight the insatiable drive, but Hojo had ingrained the instinct so deeply within Vincent's body that the smallest drop could cause him to immediately lose all sense and reason.

Once the blood-bag had been drained, Hojo tossed the empty plastic aside and stepped back. "That should have been enough to rejuvenate you," Hojo stated. "Now get up."

Vincent, ashamed of his exposed urges, kept his eyes downcast as he rose on shaky knees. His lips were plump, a deep kissable red, stained with the recently ingested blood.

"Now, Vincent, you are going to go out and find the General," Hojo said. "And you're going to find him as soon as possible, or else today's session will look like a blessing compared to what I'll do to you if you fail. Is that understood?"

Vincent silently nodded.

"Good. Now go."

Without another word, Vincent disappeared.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

I would like to thank TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Please Read and review.

Chapter 7

It had been nearly a week since the General had gone missing and another week would pass with no signs of Sephiroth. The compound was getting restless. Where was the General? Why has he not been sighted yet? Reports and rumors were being thrown left and right. No one could confirm or deny what they all suspected and feared. The General was truly gone.

The president tried to curb the anxiety by stating that Sephiroth was on a covert mission abroad, and although it seemed to satisfy the troops, it was only momentarily. Discreet searches were made to look for the wayward commander of the Firsts, but still all efforts had come up with nothing.

Although highly perturbed that the other could escape his vigilance, Vincent couldn't trouble himself with it right now. He had other matters to consider, such as how to escape from Hojo's clutches?

Ever since the moment he had been aroused from his slumber, Vincent had been pondering ways to rid himself of his implanted shackles. And so far he could only conceive one method: he would have to remove them himself using crude methods so as to avoid alerting his captor. Not an easy task when you took into consideration that he had no idea where the damn things were. But he found a solution quickly to that, thanks to the high level scan materia he had found when he had been in one of the labs.

Now on to the second problem: How to go about removing them?

This was a great task, one that would require an isolated place where he could work in peace without fearing being found out and where he could take his time without rushing the process and risk needlessly injuring himself.

He found such a place at the top floor of an abandoned building in the outskirts of the compound. All the entrances were barred and no one bothered going there for any purpose aside from using it as a temporary warehouse every now and then.

Once Vincent had not only secured the location, but also a time when he was certain that Hojo would not demand his attention (the same time Vincent was about to carve himself up, Hojo was attending a private meeting with President ShinRa), he proceeded with his task.

The First chip (Behavior Conditioner) was easy. According to the scan it was located between his collar bone and the scar that Hojo had given him when he had shot him. And it was only a few inches deep into his pectoral. Though even in its shallow location it was still going to be a pain to remove it.

Taking off his cloak, shirt and gloves until he was bare from the waist up, except for his gauntlet, Vincent pulled out his dagger and turned to the mirror perched on the wall in front of him. He pulled out the scan materia once more and did another scan just to get an exact estimate of the chip's location before setting it to the side and raising the blade to his chest.

The process was not easy and Vincent nearly quit throughout the thing. But it wasn't due to the pain. No, Vincent was quite used to pain. But the cut of a blade into his flesh brought back a cornucopia of memories to the gunman's mind; memories of failures, experiments and tortures that had been inflicted upon him.

But Vincent was determined to free himself. If he didn't do this he would have to look forward to a life of doing Hojo's bidding and suffering through the madman's experiments until either Hojo died or grew tired of Vincent and destroyed him himself, because Vincent knew damn well that he was almost immortal and un-killable through standard means.

With these thoughts in mind Vincent gritted through the process and did not stop until a bloody piece of plastic and metal slipped out from his chest and onto the floor.

With the first part done, the gunman heaved a sigh of relief and took a few moments to rest and allow the mako to heal his body before he started the next part.

Lifting the scan materia once again, Vincent searched for the next piece: the Inhibition Chip. Vincent grimaced at its location. This was going to be far more difficult than the first one. The damned thing was on his back, right under his left shoulder blade.

He was contemplating how to go about removing it from its awkward position when a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"That looked quite painful."

In a moment, Vincent dropped the dagger and had Cerberus in his hand. Only to freeze when the gunman saw who the intruder was.

"Sephiroth…"

*

On the Top Floor of the ShinRa Tower

Hojo stomped out of the President's office on a warpath. Everyone who saw the mood he was in gave the doctor a wide breadth as he moved to the elevators.

Flashback

"Damn it, Hojo, what is the meaning of this?" the head scion of ShinRa demanded, his faced puffed up and flushed in rage. "I know I told you to use any means necessary, but I did not tell you to eat through the science department's budgets, as well as the Weapons department's, and all the rest."

Hojo did not reply at first, for he too was consumed with anger.

"Mr. President, this project of mine was initially supposed to stretch out for the duration of several years," the scientist said. "But with the recent developments I've been forced, by your orders no less, to speed up the process to a matter of months. But for that to be at all possible would require huge sums of money. However, I have stumbled across some interesting finds in my…"

"I don't care what you've found, Hojo," the other interrupted. "This thing is costing us too much. We're going to go about a different way than this."

Hojo's eyes widened. That was utterly unthinkable. Didn't the man realize how far he'd gone and what new discoveries he was on the brink of?

"Mr. President, I urge you to reconsider," Hojo tried once more. "I am offering you a new army where each soldier is equal if not greater in might and strength than Sephiroth himself!"

"The thought is very appealing, Hojo," ShinRa replied, although his voice indicated that he obviously did not believe a word of what Hojo said. Honestly! Soldiers better than Sephiroth! The thought was positively ludicrous. "But we can't risk it. And it's already eating through the company's bank account. I'm sorry, Hojo, but once you step outside this office consider this project terminated. We are just going to have to figure out other ways to control Sephiroth and his companion."

End Flashback

How dare that bastard dictate Hojo's projects! Him, Hojo! The most renowned scientist of present day Midgard. The buffoon was an overweight ignorant businessman that could be easily replaced, while Hojo was a brilliant scientist equal to none in the world.

These thoughts crowded Hojo's mind as he returned to his labs. This was not acceptable, not at all. Did that moron really think Hojo was going to stand for this? Well, then he had another thing coming.

The irate scientist walked towards the lab's elevator and stepped inside. He produced a secret card from around his neck and fed it into the slot to direct him towards the lowest levels of the labs. The machine returned it and the lift began to descend into the deepest recesses of the building where the most confidential projects of all were taking place, and where also their contingency plan had been brewing for the last three weeks.

The clandestine coup was not an ordinary lab. It was a large honeycomb of numerous facilities and long winding tunnels that spanned for miles underground. And it was why to travel, one had to take an electric trolley to move from one place to another.

Hojo boarded on such a cart bound for the core of the facility. As it moved there were dozens of windows between apartments that showed the numerous goings on that took part in this place: Experiments of human cloning, mako testing, gene splicing and many more other ethically questionable procedures. But what was notable about all these was while there were innumerable human and other biological subjects, the number of scientists was very sparse. The most mundane tasks were being conducted by machines and robots. This idea was propositioned by Hojo so as to decrease the amount of people to know about the facility and reduce the risk of discovery.

As all these passed he paid no mind to them. He had a clear objective in mind.

After 20 minutes in the cart, it finally began to slow down as they reached the center of the facility.

Hojo descended and went down a long corridor. The doors parted to reveal a vast cavern with a huge central pillar that was ensconced in life pods occupied by men and women submerged into a new strand of mako. But it wasn't really a new strand of mako, now that the scientist thought about it. The formula might be new, but the idea was old. In fact, Hojo recalled maliciously, the first person he took to experiment it on was still alive today and doing his bidding.

But he wasn't here for these drones in particular; he was here for a special division which he had been personally supervising ever since the project had commenced. To the side of the cavern was a separate ward reserved for his prized team.

Hojo walked in and halted inside so as to study them. Each of the five was asleep in his and her tank, soaking up the new strain of mako he had designed for this new army. All five individuals had such powers, such capabilities, nearly unequal to anyone except for Sephiroth and Valentine. And judging by the statistics on the monitors they would soon be ready to be roused from their hibernation to serve Hojo.

Yes, the Tsviets would serve their purpose quite nicely regardless of what the president or anyone else in ShinRa had to say about it.

It wouldn't be long before Midgard witnesses Deepground rise from the catacombs.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

I want to thank TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 8

It felt like hours had passed when in truth it had only been a few minutes of Vincent's never-wavering aim locked on the General stationed across the dusty room.

Although the silver-haired warrior could tell that the gun in the mysterious man's hand could do major damage to him, he was nevertheless not in fear for his life.

"You don't really want to shoot me, do you?" Sephiroth asked rhetorically. "If you do so, the shot will be heard by everyone on the compound and they'll rush right over. As well as it would alert Hojo."

That got to Vincent. He'd be damned if he'd allow that bloody worm to get a whiff of what Vincent had been doing (and in this case in would be literally), but he didn't want to betray his panic.

"What concern is it to me if he knows?" Vincent tried to bluff.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Then go ahead and shoot."

A few minutes passed of a tense stare down. But eventually it was Vincent that conceded first. He simply didn't have it in him to harm the other.

Reluctantly, the ex-TURK lowered his firearm, but kept it firmly in his hand, poised for the slightest hint of danger. He might not want to kill the silver haired man, but he could injure him enough to incapacitate him and allow escape.

Sephiroth relaxed at seeing the enormous weapon lowered and offered the other a small smile in hopes of easing him.

"You know, I have been aware of your surveillance of me for some time," Sephiroth said, startling Vincent. "But it wasn't because of any superior knowledge on my part or any inferior capabilities on yours. On the contrary, you're quite the skilled spy. It took me weeks to be able to catch even the slightest glimpse of you. And the only reason I was ever aware that I was being monitored, was because of an unfortunate host of mine..." Sephiroth said as he tapped the side of his head and noted how those entrancing crimson eyes widened, "…and a host of _yours_."

Vincent didn't know what to think. "How did you…?"

But Sephiroth merely shook his head and waved away the question.

"I can't truly explain it, so let us for now save the subject for later. First, you will require some assistance," he said, gesturing towards the bloody dagger and microchip on the floor. "I recognize that as Hojo's." His voice turned a bit morose. "Unfortunately, similar to you, I'm quite familiar with his…toys."

But the moment Sephiroth tried to approach, the gun was up again.

"Do you really think I'll trust you with a dagger and my turned back?" Although the voice was hard, the eyes were not.

"I could have attacked you mid-way while your guard was down, but I didn't," the general replied, but the gun still didn't drop. "Listen, this bickering is useless. Now you can either allow me to help you, or you can proceed on your own. Although, be warned that the other chip is accompanied with a sensory alarm, if you remove it without deactivating it first, Hojo will find out what you're up to."

Vincent sat there in silent contemplation, but finally conceded that he needed help.

"Fine," the brunette sighed, lowering the gun once again.

Sephiroth smirked and advanced.

"Damn it, Zack, let's just go back to your apartment. It's dark and I really, really don't want to be out here."

"Relax, Cloud, its not so bad," Zack said as he dragged the frightened blond along in a dark sector of the Shin-Ra compound. "I'm here with ya buddy. Don't you want to find the creature that attacked you, defeat it, and be a hero?"

"No!" Cloud protested angrily. "I want to go back to a nice safe room and forget that it ever happened. I do NOT want to be out here in the middle of the night, looking for a monster."

"What are you so worried about?" Zack asked as he let go of Cloud and began to slink around the empty grounds. "I'm right here to protect you. Besides, we're inside the compound, we're safe."

"No, we're not," Cloud replied as he moved closer to Zack, his eyes darting left and right, thinking that he saw something move in the shadows. "First, I was attacked inside the compound. Second, haven't you noticed that there are no guards around?"

Hearing this, Zack stopped scanning the dark area, his sudden halt causing the younger man to collide with his back.

Cloud was right, Zack deduced. This corner of the place was not only completely desolate of patrol, but most of the lights were out as well, which was weird, considering that Zack hung here all too often and knew that a platoon should be patrolling these grounds by now. But the road here was empty and the building on their left was dark. The only thing around was a few trees, the perimeter wall, and a few stacked barrels put aside next to the building.

"W-What? Cloud stammered, mistaking Zack's silence for an enemy presence. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," Zack replied, "but I…"

He would have said more, but his sharp mako-enhanced hearing caught a noise of something.

"Something's coming this way, something big," Zack whispered as he grabbed a surprised Cloud and dragged him to hide behind a pile of barrels. "We gotta hide."

The duo had barely managed to take cover when a large convoy of trucks came from around the corners of the buildings. The large vehicles moved along soundlessly, their headlights off and their windows tinted.

Zack was only slightly suspicious at first, until the lead truck suddenly took a right, veering off the road onto the grass, heading for a wall. Zack tensed as he watched, expecting it to crash, but the truck continued and the moment it touched the wall, it flickered. There was no crash and the others continued after it.

A holographic wall!

Cloud had been watching the trucks disappear into the holographic wall when he felt his hand touch something wet and sticky. He pulled his hand up to see and saw red. It was then that he noticed that the place around them reeked of a coppery sickening smell. He looked down to see the red trail leading behind them towards the dark corner of their hiding place. His breath caught in his throat to see the source of the liquid.

"Z-Z-Zack," Cloud's voice cracked.

"Shhhh Cloud, do you want them to hear us?" Zack said, still watching as the last of the trucks disappeared behind the faux wall. The Second recognized that whatever was happening was obviously not meant to be witnessed by anyone.

"But Z-Zack, look!" The blond grabbed his shoulder to forcibly turn him around.

Although he might have protested, the Second instantly shut his mouth when he saw the pile of bodies stashed there. The corpses were bloody and damaged, but Zack recognized the uniform of the patrol that was assigned to monitor this sector.

"What the hell?"

"Come on," Cloud urged as he pulled Zack up and in the direction of the buildings. "Let's get out of here."

But they both went rigid when a pair of hands landed on their shoulders.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

I would like to thank TokioKoos for editing this chapter.

Chapter 9

Vincent bit his lower lip to stifle the groans that threatened to escape. The feeling of long slender fingers gently gliding around the newly made incision on his left shoulder blade sent pain as well as some odd sensations coursing across his spine.

"I'm almost done," Sephiroth's gentle voice encouraged him, the man was standing behind him. "Just bear it for a few more minutes."

Vincent didn't bother to answer; he simply lowered his head to his chest to allow Sephiroth better access. His long black hair was draped across his right shoulder so as not to get in the way. His elbows were on his knees as he hunched forward on the crate he was sitting on.

When the second, deeper incision was made and the flesh was parted by sure, gentle hands, he chewed on his lower lip to try and distract himself. But when that didn't work he looked up and began to count the dust-covered crates littered across the makeshift warehouse.

The stench of blood, although minor, rose above the stale air, clouding his olfactory senses and making him, much to his everlasting shame, long for a blood bag or a long slender neck to bite into as opposed to his own swollen lips.

But his suffering was not to last much longer. Because the next moment he felt a strong, yet painful tug, followed by the sound of something light and small being dropped to the dusty ground of the abandoned warehouse.

"Done," Sephiroth said as he pulled out a handkerchief and a cure materia. He cleaned the blood around the wound and used the handkerchief as a temporary bandage before he began chanting a spell under his breath. The cure materia glowed lightly and worked its magic on the damaged flesh.

Vincent rose and reached with his right hand to feel the healing area. He turned back to Sephiroth as the other man pulled his gloves back on.

"I thank you for your help," Vincent said sincerely.

Sephiroth nodded as he tugged the leather gloves on more firmly.

"Since I helped you, I do believe I am at a position to demand something in return for my assistance," Sephiroth said.

Vincent blinked. Ah, well, he hadn't truly thought that Sephiroth's help was going to come free without a hook on the end, did he?

"What do you want?" he asked as he reached for his clothes and began to put them on, oblivious to the scrutiny his visible body was being subjected to.

Now that his concentration was free from his task, Sephiroth allowed his eyes to study the bare-chested man in front of him. The other's pale complexion, riddled with scars, was a macabre tableau of horrors that Sephiroth recognized all too well as the good doctor's handiwork. But it still did nothing to take away the slender gunman's beauty.

"How about we start with your name," he said as he moved to lean against the crate Vincent had been previously occupying.

The ex-TURK's movements halted momentarily while tightening the clasps of his shirt, it did not go unnoticed by the general.

"Is there a problem?" Sephiroth asked, sensing Vincent's hesitance. "I assume that you already know a good deal about me. Don't you think that I at least deserve to know my spy's name?"

Somehow, for some odd reason, the idea of giving Lucrecia's son his name sent some sense of panic curling in his stomach. But the other had helped him out when he had no reason to do so. It wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Vincent," he said. "Vincent Valentine."

Sephiroth smiled. "Vincent Valentine," he rolled the words around his tongue as though tasting it.

Hearing his name uttered by those lips sent shivers down the brunette's spine. He suppressed them and continued pulling on his mantle.

"Well Vincent," Sephiroth damn near purred his name. "How about you tell me why you have been stalking me for the past couple of weeks."

'Tell him everything, Vincent,' Chaos called from the depth of his mind. 'And I don't just mean your mission since your awakening. I mean _everything_ he needs to know about himself.'

The gunman frowned. Usually he wasn't one to follow the demon's advice. But he sensed an urgency in Chaos's voice that convinced Vincent of the dire need to do so, but he wanted the demon's reason for doing so.

'Why should I?' he asked. 'He has no need to know.'

'But he does!' Chaos urged. 'Trust me, Vincent. He has to know or this will later come back to turn on him. Besides, don't you think he deserves a shred of truth after all the lies that Hojo and Shin-Ra have probably been feeding him this entire time?'

Vincent turned his attention back to Sephiroth. Said subject was patiently standing, waiting for him, not disturbing him, nor questioning his sudden silence. As though…

'He knows I'm here and that I'm talking to you,' Chaos affirmed. 'He just can't read into our link.'

Not knowing what else to say, Vincent conceded. It was best to follow the other being's suggestion. Maybe it was time to tell Sephiroth the truth. He deserved it after all. He opened his mouth about to begin from the start, the silver-haired warrior poised to attention.

But he never got an answer.

Suddenly, the blaring sound of the emergency sirens broke the silence.

Outside, high intensity search lights broke the murky dawn sky across the compound and blast doors dropped in all the high security sectors of every building.

"What's going on?" Vincent asked as his hand went to Cerberus. He watched Sephiroth approached a nearby window while summoning Masamune to his hand.

"We're under attack."

The mako child could hear and sense commotion coming from the far side of the compound. But it was too far away to see and his range was hindered by the other buildings in his sight.

The high intensity lights lit up the dark, revealing large battalions of blue-clad, armed men and women, previously hidden under the cover of shadows. They sprung up from every corner and swarmed the compound with ferocious intensity and frightening speed, unlike anything SOLDIER had ever seen before.

Unbeknownst to the two warriors, Deepground had made its move.

TBC


End file.
